ICT Motivating Global Education Redesign
Realizing that a well-educated populace is essential for boosting
national prosperity and competitiveness in an international economy, top-level
education departments and ministries around the world are now focused on
ensuring that their P-12 curricula and instruction are adjusted to modern
standards. This task involves ensuring that learners have the specific skills,
literacies, knowledge, and expertise that will ensure their success in the
global marketplace. A crucial piece in accomplishing this, both in terms of
learning outcomes and instructional delivery, is ICT (information,
communications and technology).
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| One Laptop per Child Initiatives |
As a driver of learning outcomes, ICT has played an
important role in the development of new international curricular strategies.
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has
been at the forefront of providing a basis for the remodeling and modernization
of teaching, learning and curriculum, with ICT being a significant
consideration. Even though established as a US K-12 education initiative, the organization’s
recommendations have global relevance and implications. One of the major categories
found within the Partnership’s renowned publication, P21Framework Definitions document, was created in response to the fact that we
live in a global environment that is infused with and dependent upon technology
and media. This portion of the document offers the following guidelines for the
knowledge, skills, and expertise that student should possess as a result of the
learning process:
Information Literacy
- Accessing and evaluating information
- Using and managing information
Media Literacy
- Analyzing media
- Creating media products
ICT Literacy
- Applying technology effectively, ethically, and legally
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| Mobile Learning Device |
As a medium for instructional delivery, ICT plays another
significant role in the modernization of international education systems. One
of the challenges in many countries has been the provision of a quality and
equal education to all children regardless of their circumstances. Around the
world, ICT infrastructures are being updated and expanded to provide Internet
access to both urban and rural destinations and recipients. Additionally, these
schools and learners are being provided with devices to receive educational web
content that has been specifically designed and developed by subject matter
experts, master teachers, and instructional designers who are highly
specialized in e-learning and the variety of learning devices. Of particular
interest and development are mobilelearning, one laptop per child (OLPC),
and other one-to-oneinitiatives. These will be examined in future posts.
Reflection Point - As much as I love my laptop that is not
the way world is going to learn. They are going to learn on tablets and phones.
Better be on board or miss the train. ~Jay Cross
